Magnesium – Do you Need It? | Better You Product Review

Magnesium - Do you Need It?

I have been sent over a range of products from Better You to give my honest opinion about their range of magnesium lotions and sprays.

I have used and enjoyed the benefits of magnesium for a number of years and so was really looking forward to trying them out.

So before we get into the products themselves I wanted to delve little more into why you may want to consider magnesium for its health benefits and especially for improved sleep.

Sleep could be a whole blog post in itself because it’s so damn important to good health, not to mention your ability to drop body fat, yet I know it’s soooo common for people to struggle getting enough shut eye.

I don’t often struggle with sleep unless I am incredibly stressed or have a lot on my mind, which thankfully doesn’t happen all that often these days BUT I still love using magnesium as it always leaves me feeling like I have had a full and very deep nights sleep. I personally love the crazy and vivid magnesium dreams it gives you too.

I always like to keep things simple and easy to understand and so will stick to the basics on why you may choose to supplement when you can clearly understand why we need it.

Magnesium is used by the body for literally 100’s of different functions

It aids in energy production, it is essential for the effective breakdown of glucose and fat so that the body can use these sources as fuel and provide your body with the energy it needs to get through the day.

It supports the rebuilding of body structures such as bones and connective tissues which is why it’s great for recovery and promoting healthy supple skin and muscles.

Magnesium also works in conjunction with calcium. As women get to a certain age they start to worry about brittle bones and think that it’s calcium the need more of and often wrongly get told to drink more milk(side note there are far better sources of calcium than cow’s milk, think green leafy veggies, almonds, seeds, beans and these also contain magnesium too, double bonus). But your body actually won’t absorb calcium into the cells if adequate amounts of magnesium are not present too. So a balance of magnesium and calcium are required to maintain good strong healthy bones.

Aids muscle relaxation and sleep

It’s often hard to know if you are deficient in magnesium, though the UK department of health suggests that the average UK diet only provides 80% of our daily needs. Traditionally we would get all of our magnesium needs from the foods that we eat, but with today’s modern farming practices means that our soils are not as rich in magnesium as they once were, plus the fact that so many people today are literally stressed and frazzled out of their brains. Yep good ole stress will actually cause the body to deplete magnesium stores.

Symptoms often associated with low magnesium levels include:

Of course it goes without saying if you have more serious symptoms or have concerns about supplementation you should always consult your doctor first.

So first off it’s always better to address the root causes and if that means you need to make some changes to your eating habits you may want to consider adding more magnesium rich foods into your diet.

Also know that if you drink a lot of carbonated drinks/soda/pop this could also be contributing to low magnesium levels as it prevents it from being absorbed by the body. And in general, that stuff it pretty awful for your all round health so work on reducing that significantly, ok??

There are so many awesome recipes around now to help you incorporate these types of awesome nutrient containing foods into your diet. CLICK HERE to follow my pinterest boards where I often pin many of my favourite healthy recipes. You gotta love Pinterest for that.

BUT let’s keep in mind that the health and function of your digestive system also comes into play here as not all of the nutrients are absorbed all of the time. Which is why transdermal (absorbed through the skin and by passes the digestive system and is absorbed straight into the blood) magnesium supplements have proved to be far more effective in supporting magnesium deficiencies.

I have been testing out the range from Better You. A company that is british made, against testing on animals and has put in the research to ensure they are using the best quality ingredients in their products. They have been working closely with universities, hospitals and research institutes. I honestly have loved using these products, have felt the impact on my sleep and tired achy post workout muscles, plus I love their company ethos too which is always important to me.

I would love them even more if they could find an alternative to the plastic containers, OR containers that are from 100% recycled plastic would also make me very happy but hey we can live in hope 😉

The products I tested were:

The Magnesium Oil Spray – Is their strongest and purest MagnesiumOil. I have used magnesium sprays for some time, and the ones I have used in the past have dried out my skin. This one has actually left my skin with much more moisture in it, and hasn’t felt dried out at all. It also doesn’t tingle as much as the previous brand I was using, but this could be because I now have more optimal magnesium levels in my body. Whether you are looking for improved sleep, health or recovery from exercise get the oil as it offers the highest concentration of magnesium.

The Magnesium Gel – Is again a high concentration but they state that it is delivered at a slightly more gradual rate than the spray. What I love about the gel is it’s consistency when rubbed onto the skin it quite oily meaning it’s perfect for some self massage you particularly sore or tight muscles, or better still if you have someone else to massage it on for you. I struggle with really tight calf muscles from lots of hill running and so have really enjoyed using this on my legs.

Magnesium Skin Body lotion – The lotion is more for healthy supple hydrated skin. I am actually someone who avoids using moisturisers if I can. Mainly because I am secretly lazy when I can be and I can’t be arsed with too much high maintenance body care. I believe if we eat a good balanced diet and drink plenty of water then you shouldn’t really need to put chemicals and creams on your skin. The only moisturiser I generally use is coconut oil. The lotion has left my skin really nice and soft and hasn’t dried it out when I stop use

Magnesium Body Butter – Has a lower concentration of magnesium than the lotion but really nice and hydrating consistency. I have used this one more and even on my face. My skin is exposed to the elements of cold and wind while out on the mountain and has helped prevent a chappend chin (sexy I know) which can be a common occurrence for me during the winter when i am out snowboarding a lot. I really like the butter and would use it as an aftersun in the summer too.

You can access Better You’s full range of magnesium and supplementation products including vitamin D oral spray CLICK HERE